Fed up

I think I’ve finally reached the moment that I’ve been waiting for. The moment when I am so tired of being overweight, I’m ready to do something about it. Since starting my job as a dispatcher I can safely say that I’ve gained somewhere around thirty pounds. I wish that in the job description it forewarned this in bold print, but instead I think it was in the fine print on 1 out of 800 forms I read and signed. It seems that this phenomenon occurs to 90% of the dispatch population. The other 10% I have ill feelings towards.
It’s no secret now that highly stressful shift work, combined with sitting down in a chair, a phone cord tethered between my ear and my desk, and 10 or 12 hour days in a room with no natural light or windows causes the hand-to-mouth impulses to increase. But before I tap out an ambulance call for chest pain for myself while on duty, I have decided that now is the time to lose the weight.
I’m tired of not fitting into my clothes. I’m tired of not feeling my best. And as much as I hate exercise, it works well for me. I’ve done it before and I can do it again.
I have two weaknesses. The first is Pepsi. Not diet, just plain old regular Pepsi. It’s likeness is to motor oil, but on ice. My second weakness is ranch dressing. I love salad but it has to have ranch dressing. Same with pizza. And who can eat pizza without ranch and pepsi? Gotta break the habit... or sirens will be heading my way.
But in all seriousness, the “baby fat spare tire freshman 15 chunky monkey muffin top” look has got to go. And I’ve already started. I haven’t had soda in several days. Hence the cranky, “I’ve got a headache” vibe I’m putting off. I have increased my fruit, veggie and vitamin intake by huge proportions and I actually exercised today for a brief 20 minutes.
I figure if I gradually ease my way into the changes it won’t hurt so bad and I will be more inclined to stick with it. It helps too that Howard is taking a health class for a few college credits and had to make some lifestyle changes. He opted to cut out fast food and soda. Not a bad choice at all.
I'd like to think that I"m not vein. But the idea of getting into a swimsuit that flatters both me and the suit before it gets miserably hot outside is definitely in my subconscious. Until then, if you see me with junk food please invite me to go swimming. That should deter me from eating any more.
Mandy

The Other Shoe

The other shoe has dropped.

I figured the day would come. At least expecting it to happen softened the blow a bit.

The mail arrived last Friday and Howard walked in with a short, one page letter from the home owners insurance company that paid for the water damage to the house.

It stated that through their investigation it has been determined that we are responsible for the cause of the damage therefore "please promptly remit a check for $10,700".

Right.

I have that in my left shoe.

At first, Howard was mad. And I wasn't. I told him how it can't be that big of a surprise. This is standard procedure. We just have to go through the formal motions of working it out. Blah, blah,blah.

Then the next day...I was mad. Furious. And he was not.

I guess it doesn't help if we are both mad on the same day.

Now, we are trying to figure out our next move. Clearly it was our washing machine that leaked. That's not the issue. The issue is that the home owner let the water sit for 8 days before tearing out the carpet, thus resulting in way more damage to his house and our furniture than should have happened.. That part is not our responsibility and that's where it gets messy.

So, as if we don't already have enough daily life to juggle, we now have to battle it out with the insurance company.

Because their "investigation" did not include a phone call to us to ask our side of the story.

And because my left shoe does not have a wad of cash in it to throw around.

And if it did.

I'd have a lot better things to spend it on.

Like new shoes.

And a brand spanking new washing machine.

Mandy

Proud Mom Day!

Yes, the title is meant to be sarcastic.

My child...or should I say MY child....my SWEET, little darling 3 year old son....did the unthinkable.

Today, in the beautiful sunlight, while at the playground (it hurts to be so painfully honest, that's why it's taking so long for me to spit it out)

PUNCHED ANOTHER KID IN THE STOMACH!. Not just some kid, but a kid we don't even know.

And after he did that unthinkable act, he poured salt in that fresh wound and

CALLED THE KID A BUTT HEAD!

MY kid. MY stinking little brat of a kid!

It's a proud mom day.

Let me just make it clear. PROUD.

I wanted to crawl into the nearest gopher hole at the park and die.

Instead, I marched him back over to the kid (who let me point out was about 6 years old and didn't punch him back but should have) and made him apologize for both and gave him a very long time out.

What has my child rearing come to that my own flesh and blood just acted like one of "those" kids on the playground?

Proud Mom Day's thankfully don't happen often. But when they do, they really make me want to spit. Lord have mercy on my son's soul.

Mandy

Lay an Egg!

I'm not in a good place right now to write a nice Easter post. Truth is, I'm so tired, I can't think hard enough to make out a grocery list, let alone remember everything once I'm at the store!

Does this really have to be the week they remodel and rearrange Wal-mart so that at 11pm I can't find the bread?! Why are they out of peeps and marshmallow eggs? And why, in the middle of the remodel, on the night before a holiday, do they have only 4 check stands open? And why, why, why did they not include a self-checkout with their "new and improved" look?

I have on the other hand read some wonderful Easter posts that you will find along my side bar from MckMama and BringtheRain. You are much better off reading those than anything I could share right now. Instead I'm tired and a bit disappointed. I really wanted to attend our church's Easter service as they are always incredible, but could not pull myself together to make it happen.

I'm on my 3rd week of a graveyard shift and hurting. My house looks like a bomb went off. Laundry is half washed and half folded, and none of that is my doing. My sink is full of dishes and it's after 10pm and I'm just gearing up for a long night and ready to clean the house. Seriously. Which doesn't work well when everyone else is sleeping. No one wants to be woke up by a vacuum cleaner or washing machine, which is why it's not getting done during the day either. And to think I have to do this for the next 5 months! I've been told the 3rd week is the hardest. After that it's smooth sailing. I'm question the "smooth" part. I look like a zombie at the boys baseball games and probably have very few intelligent thoughts when speaking to my friends. Note to friends: I apologize. Check back with me at the beginning of October.

I'm not a coffee drinker. I try to limit the amount of Pepsi I consume but sometimes I just need a jolt of caffeine. Pepsi at 5am is not a reasonable solution to my sleepiness. Neither is popcorn, 12 mini snickers bars or a frozen, microwavable, Salisbury steak dinner with fake mashed potatoes and hard corn. (Did I just admit that?) My coworker takes Excedrin Migraine, when she doesn't have a headache, just to stay awake. See how all logic disappears when you work graveyard? She once was a reasonable person.

In spite of my lethargic demeanor I managed to snap a few photos of this weekend's events and only dropped the camera twice. (just kidding mom)


Not all eggs make the cut.









Yes, that's pink. My favorite.


Proof of my zombie state.






The rivalry between my boys runs deep!


Nephew Titus's first Easter and his baby dedication day.


Love, Mandy

ps. Banquet just called. They want me to retract my statements. Apparently Salisbury steak meals meet the minimum standards of a well balanced 5am meal.

Play Ball!

Today was opening day of little league games. We just spent a greater part of the day at the ball fields cheering for two handsome little men. I love the too big baseball caps that bend little ears outward! The all important cup checks and the seed spitting are a bit over the top for me. Grant started his first experience with baseball playing coach pitch, and Jordan moved up to minors and is enjoying his position on 1st base. Jordan's team won 8-7 and we only had to call an ambulance once for a little guy who caught a pitch with his nose and teeth. Not too bad for opening day!

Dug out days, here we come.

Mandy

Take a Hike!

Last Saturday we surprised our kids with a spur of the moment (for them, we thought ahead a bit) family day and told them to get ready for a whole day of fun. When they asked where we were going we said, "we don't know, you guys get to pick".

We set 3 rules.

1) Somewhere we can take the dog.

2) In our car by dark to head home.

3) Spend $50 or less. Not including food and gas.

The boys hashed it over and decided they wanted to go on a hike and they picked Table Rock. So we set out for a beautiful 2.8 mile hike up Table Rock and 2.8 mile hike down. Here's some photo's of our hike.

(This is the first photo in 2+ years that all three boys are looking at the camera and smiling, I about cried on the trail when I finally reached this long awaited moment of photo victory).

The end of the hike proved to be a trail of tears for Carter. And every hiker on the mountain heard him! He walked almost the whole thing with a few rides on mom and dad's shoulders.

After we climbed down the mountain we still had plenty of day left over and the boys decided they wanted to go bowling. Can you dig Grant's fashion statement? I about wet my pants when I saw this get up! Carter joined Howard's team and with that handicap and a little help from bumpers and a ball rack, they beat us all with a score of 105! We finished off the bowling alley with a trip through the arcade.

On our way home we happened across a brand new playground that was not quite finished but still open for play.Since the sun hadn't set completely the kids jumped out and played until the sun went down.

And we took this funny picture of our bobble head dog!

After dark we hit the road and finished the night off with a take n' bake pizza and baths. Once the kids went to bed we plugged in a movie and called it a night. The next morning I could barely walk. E-ver-y-th-ing hurt. Hiking, bowling and crawling around on a playground with our kids was a work out! We had a blast welcoming spring! It was a gorgeous day.

Mandy